The Latest Advancements in Optics

Optics are used in a vast range of applications in virtually every sector of human endeavor, from scientific microscopes to medical diagnostic imaging, from automobile headlights to telescopes pointed at the stars. Read on to learn about their advances.

Ultra-Narrowband Optical Filters Pushing Boundaries from the UV to the LWIR

Developments in ultra-narrow manufacturing capabilities enable transformative, world-changing, technology. Read on to learn how boundaries are being pushed.

Closing the Design-to-Manufacturing Gap for Optical Devices

A new method enables optical devices that more closely match their design specifications, boosting accuracy and efficiency. Read on to learn more.

Photonics-Based Wireless Link Breaks Speed Records for Data Transmission

The researchers anticipate that with multiplexing techniques (where more than one channel can be used) and more sensitive receivers, the data rate can be increased to 1 terabit per second, ushering in a new era of near-instantaneous global communication. Read on to learn more.

Researchers Use Inkjet Printing to Make a Portable Multispectral 3D Camera

The palm-sized light field camera could improve autonomous driving, classification of recycled materials, and remote sensing. Read on to learn more about it.

Researchers Develop New and Improved Camera Inspired by the Human Eye

The camera mimics the involuntary movements of the human eye to create sharper, more accurate images for robots, smartphones, and other image-capturing devices. Read on to learn more about it.

Analysis and Simulation of Low-Light INL in CMOS Image Sensors

Conventional sources of INL are well understood, but as pixel array resolution has increased and ADC pitch has consequently been reduced, additional array sources of nonlinearity have become prominent. Read on to learn more.

Bird-Eye-Inspired Camera Developed for Enhanced Object Detection

This innovative camera technology represents a significant advance in object detection, offering numerous potential applications across various industries. Read on to learn more.

Advanced Laser Cleaning Robotic Work Cells Turbocharge Industrial Processes

Enclosed robotic laser parts cleaning systems are poised to safely remove rust and contamination as well as condition surfaces at dramatically higher volumes and at lower cost than conventional methods. Read on to learn more about the process.

Total Versatility: Flexible Test Station With a Cobot and Camera

Manually checking the quality of components or products in industry is labor-intensive for employees and error-prone on top of that. The Fraunhofer Institute for Mechatronic Systems Design IEM is unveiling a solution that provides total versatility in this area. Read on to learn more about it.

New Products

See the new products, including TRIOPTICS' expansion of its OptiCentric® 101 centration measurement system, a new type of laser-based immersion probe, LightSolver's breakthrough in quantum-inspired high-performance computing, Teledyne FLIR's next-generation embedded software for the ITAR-free Boson+ thermal camera module, IDS Imaging Development Systems' all essential camera components for the uEye ACP series, and much more.

Leveraging CAD for Precision in Wide Field Star Imaging and Spectroscopy

Have you ever gazed at the vastness of the stars and wondered what else your CNC machine can create? Greg Green had the opportunity to find out when he joined the staff at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) in Waimea, Hawaii. Read on to find out what happened.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on ETH’s student-built drone, which will operate free of external and visible propellers; one on a soft robotic hand that combines vision, motor-based proprioception, and soft tactile sensors to identify, sort, and pack a stream of unknown objects; one on the Environmental Toolkit for Expeditionary Operations; and one on how integrating AI into robotic systems can enhance their capabilities and enable them to perform more complex tasks.

Robotics Virtual Twins Offer a Simulation-Based Approach to Real-time Operations

RVT is set to become a pivotal innovation in the quest for net-zero emissions within the automotive industry. By fully leveraging RVT capabilities, manufacturers can significantly reduce material waste, energy consumption, and emissions while enhancing resource efficiency and integrating renewable energy sources. Read on to learn more.

Engineering a New Approach to Satellite Constellation Design

Propulsion systems that were once crafted in very limited quantities now need to be manufactured by the thousands. This scale-up necessitates a new design and development approach that blends modern manufacturing principles with legacy systems. Read on to learn more about it.

Rapidly Testing Stretchable Sensors

Engineers have developed a new technique for making wearable sensors that enables medical researchers to prototype and test new designs much faster and at a far lower cost than existing methods. Read on to learn more.

Wearable Sensors Detect Pathogens, Toxins

Researchers have developed a method to detect bacteria, toxins, and dangerous chemicals in the environment with a biopolymer sensor that can be printed like ink on a wide range of materials — including wearables. Read on to learn more.

Modified VR Tech to Measure Brain Activity

A research team created a noninvasive electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor that was installed in a Meta VR headset that can be worn comfortably for long periods. The EEG measures the brain’s electrical activity during the immersive VR interactions. Read on to learn more.

Smart Glove Can Boost Hand Mobility of Stroke Patients

A new groundbreaking “smart glove” is capable of tracking the hand and finger movements of stroke victims during rehabilitation exercises. The glove incorporates a sophisticated network of highly sensitive sensor yarns and pressure sensors that are woven into a comfortable stretchy fabric. Read on to learn more about the smart glove.

Unlocking the Next Generation of Wireless Communications

With a goal to revolutionize cellular communications, Penn engineers have developed an adjustable filter that can successfully prevent interference, even in higher-frequency bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. Read on to learn more about the matter.

3D Processors May Revolutionize Wireless Communication

Scientists have pioneered a method for using semiconductor technology to manufacture processors that significantly enhance the efficiency of transmitting vast amounts of data across the globe. The innovation is poised to transform the landscape of wireless communication. Read on to learn more.

New Transistor Could Shrink Communications Devices on Smartphones

After announcing a ferroelectric semiconductor at the nanoscale thinness required for modern computing components, a University of Michigan team has demonstrated a reconfigurable transistor using that material. Read on to learn more.

RTV Silicone Sealing Method for Component Interfaces

The RTV sealing method may benefit terrestrial applications that may demand cure-in-place internal seals. The method could also innovate manufacturing processes for components by enhancing the speed of assembly while increasing seal integrity. Read on to learn more.

3D Printing with an Unknown Material

This research could help to reduce the environmental impact of additive manufacturing, which typically relies on nonrecyclable polymers and resins derived from fossil fuels. Read on to learn more.

3D-Printing Flexible Devices without Mechanical Joints

Eva Baur, a Ph.D. student, used 3D-printed double network granular elastomers (DNGEs) to print a prototype ‘finger,’ complete with rigid ‘bones’ surrounded by flexible ‘flesh.’ The finger was printed to deform in a pre-defined way, demonstrating the technology’s potential to manufacture devices that are sufficiently supple to bend and stretch, while remaining firm enough to manipulate objects. Read on to learn more.

New Chip May Lead to AI Computing at Light Speed

Penn Engineers have developed a new chip that uses light waves, rather than electricity, to perform the complex math essential to training AI. The chip has the potential to radically accelerate the processing speed of computers while also reducing their energy consumption. Read on to learn more.

Unique Amplifier Could Change Optical Communication

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed an optical amplifier that they expect will revolutionize both space and fiber communication.

A Method to Accurately Center Quantum Dots Within Photonic Chips

Researchers have developed standards and calibrations for optical microscopes that allow quantum dots to be aligned with the center of a photonic component to within an error of 10 to 20 nanometers (about one-thousandth the thickness of a sheet of paper). Such alignment is critical for chip-scale devices that employ the radiation emitted by quantum dots to store and transmit quantum information. Read on to learn more.

New Membrane Mirrors for Large Space-Based Telescopes

Researchers have developed a new way to produce and shape large, high-quality mirrors that are much thinner than conventional space-telescope mirrors. The final product is even flexible enough to be rolled up and stored compactly inside a launch vehicle. Read on to learn more.

A Telerobotic System to Revolutionize Hazardous Nuclear Waste Clean-Up

Because they can go where humans can’t, robots are especially suited for safely working with hazardous nuclear waste. Now, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have designed and tested a remote-controlled, dual-arm telerobotics system with human-like capabilities that has the potential to revolutionize hazardous waste clean-up and holds potential for broader applications.

Using AI to Streamline Robotic Warehouse Operations

Getting 800 robots in a warehouse to and from their destinations efficiently while keeping them from crashing into each other is no easy task. So, a group of MIT researchers who use AI to mitigate traffic congestion applied ideas from that domain to tackle this problem. Read on to learn what they built.

An Autonomous Drone Based on Animal Brains

A team of researchers at Delft University of Technology has developed a drone that flies autonomously using neuromorphic image processing and control based on the workings of animal brains.

New on the Market

See what's new on the market, including the latest wafer inspection system from PI Americas, Remcom's XFdtd ® 3D Electromagnetic Simulation Software, ASM's high-resolution measurement system, NOVOSENSE Microelectronics' 16/24-channel driver IC for automotive LED applications, Advanced Energy Industries' NavX™ impedance matching network, the QUINT HP AC UPS from Phoenix Contact, Precision Glass & Optics' new double-sided polishing (DSP) capabilities, and more.

Products of Tomorrow

See the products of tomorrow, including a new type of glass with unique and even contradictory properties, a novel approach for actively controlling Dutch-roll oscillations of an eVTOL aircraft by using existing outboard propellers to dampen oscillations, and the world’s first practical titanium-sapphire laser on a chip.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month: Idec Corporation's expanded SmartAXIS touch family, including the new FT2J Series combined PLC+HMI.

5Ws of Film-Balloon Soft Robots

A novel fabrication approach enables lightweight, untethered operation of soft robots with advanced biomimetic locomotion capabilities.

Seeing Is Communicating

The Eyegaze Edge system developed in collaboration with NASA is an eye-tracking technology that makes 'talking' possible for people who can’t.

Compound Eye Structure Could Revolutionize Robotic Vision

A team developed a pinhole compound vision system by adopting new materials and structures. This system features several key characteristics, including an inherent hemispherical perovskite nanowire array imager with high pixel density to enlarge the imaging field and a 3D-printed lens-free pinhole array.

Test Your Knowledge About AI Adoption in Engineering

With advancements like large language models, we are seeing increased integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into engineering processes. Design engineers of advanced machines and systems such as robots, medical devices, automotive components, and manufacturing lines, are already using AI to streamline design and production processes. How much do you know about AI adoption in engineering? Test your knowledge with this quiz.

AI's Role in Advanced Medtech Manufacturing

AI is optimizing manufacturing efficiency, quality control, and supply chain management.

Generative AI Systems Can Produce Robot-Training Simulations

URDFormer takes images of real environments from the internet and quickly creates physically realistic simulation environments where robots can train.

A New Model Offers Robots Precise Pick-and-Place Solutions

Pick-and-place machines are a type of automated equipment used to place objects into structured, organized locations. These machines are used for a variety of applications — from...

Autonomous Aerial Robots Prioritize Rooms in Multiroom Exploration

An estimated 100 earthquakes worldwide cause damage each year. This damage includes collapsed buildings, downed electrical lines and more. For first responders, assessing...

Swimming Microrobots Deliver Cancer-fighting Drugs to Metastatic Lung Tumors

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed microscopic robots, known as microrobots, capable of swimming through the lungs to deliver...

Crafting Safe, Long-Cyclable Lithium Metal Batteries for High Temperatures

A research team has developed a new generation of lithium metal batteries, representing a significant advancement in the field. Their innovation centers on microcrack-free polymer electrolytes which promise extended lifespan and enhanced safety at elevated temperatures.

Force Testing Profile Stings

A group of graduate students used a force measurement system to test the structural capacity of custom profile stings during high-threshold testing in a wind tunnel.

How Much Do You Know About MOSA?

How much do you know about MOSA? Test your knowledge with this quiz.

Butterfly-Inspired AI Technology

Professor Saptarshi Das and his team at Penn State University learned that when it comes to mating, two things matter for Heliconius butterflies: the look and the smell of their potential partner. This led them to think about how multiple sensory inputs could enable more efficient use of AI.

A Shape-Shifting Metamaterial Inspired by Push Puppets

UCLA researchers have developed a new type of metamaterial, a material engineered to possess properties with applications for soft robotics, reconfigurable architectures, and space engineering.

Generative Design Pairs with Digital Manufacturing for Space-Ready Parts

NASA engineers partnered with digital manufacturer Protolabs for a generative design experiment at the recent PowerSource Global Summit, a technology conference held in Orlando. Read on to learn more about the space-ready parts that came out of it.

Test Your Knowledge About Electric Aircraft

Electric cars are all the rage these days, changing the way we’ve been driving for our entire lives. But there’s another electric vehicle that could change travel for the better: electric aircraft. How much do you know about electric aircraft? Find out with this quiz.

Polyphase Wireless Power Transfer System

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have successfully demonstrated the first 270-kW wireless power transfer to a light-duty electric vehicle. The demonstration...

Medium-Voltage Converters Can Replace Grid Transformers

To electrify everything from vehicles to heating systems to stovetops, the U.S. grid must expand by about 57% and get more flexible, too. Solar and wind energy are the renewables most...

World’s Strongest Battery Paves Way for Light, Energy-Efficient Vehicles

When cars, planes, ships, or computers are built from a material that functions as both a battery and a load-bearing structure, the weight and energy consumption are...

Bringing Circular Economy for Plastics One Step Closer to Reality

The chemical process can essentially vaporize plastics that currently dominate the waste stream and turn them into hydrocarbon building blocks for new plastics.

Improving Upon the Design of Microelectronic Devices

A new study led by researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities is providing new insights into how next-generation electronics, including memory components in computers, breakdown or degrade over time.

A New Optical Counterfeit Detection Method for Computer Chips

Researchers in Purdue University’s College of Engineering have developed a patent-pending optical counterfeit detection method for chips used in semiconductor devices.

This OLED Device is Thinner Than a Human Hair

A new type of OLED (organic light emitting diode) could replace bulky night vision goggles with lightweight glasses, making them cheaper and more practical for prolonged use, according to...

Unique Nanodisk Holds Major Potential for Future of Photonic Research

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have for the first time succeeded in combining two major research fields in photonics by creating a nanoobject with...

My Opinion: Swarms are Fascinating and Important

My opinion: There is much to learn that is useful, practical, and important by studying swarms.

Using Mushrooms to Control Robots

By harnessing mycelia’s innate electrical signals, the researchers discovered a new way of controlling “biohybrid” robots that can potentially react to their environment better than their purely synthetic counterparts.

Artificial Muscles Propel a Robotic Leg to Walk and Jump

Inventors and researchers have been developing robots for almost 70 years. To date, all the machines they have built have had one thing in common: they are powered by motors. Even...

Autonomous Vehicles Could Understand Their Passengers Better With ChatGPT

Imagine simply telling your vehicle, “I’m in a hurry,” and it automatically takes you on the most efficient route to your destination.

Synthetic Mini Motor with Enormous Power

Researchers have developed an artificial motor at the supramolecular level that can develop impressive power. The wind-up motor is a tiny ribbon made of special molecules. When energy is applied, the...

How Much Do You Know About Op Amps?

Op amps have been ubiquitous for decades, originally built with vacuum tubes, then discrete transistors, then monolithic IC chips, such as the µA741, which is still in wide use today. How much do you know about op amps? Test your knowledge with this quiz.

Streaming Video Over Legacy Military Tactical Networks

Joshua Cryer, President and CEO of Reticulate Micro, is the guest on this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology Podcast.